“I was a prick. I’m sorry.”
She wanted to ask him why he had turned her down in the first place, but it was so noisy in there that their voices would have to be raised, and this wasn’t the venue for that particular conversation. “I’d like to know why, but how about we table that topic for another time?”
“Sounds good.”
He held a bottle of beer in his hands, and he looked so delicious she wanted to lean against him and not let go. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
“I’m glad to be here. Take me around and introduce me to your family.”
“Are you sure? There’s a lot going on around here. Chances are we could hide out in the back of the room and not be noticed.”
He slid his hand in hers. “Alicia. Introduce me to your family.”
Something melted inside her. “Okay.”
The whole introduction thing took awhile since the family was spread out and people were packed in the club like sardines. But she found her parents and her aunt and uncle together, so they were first.
Her mother grinned from ear to ear when Alicia introduced Garrett.
“So you’re the one Alicia’s been working on. How is your shoulder?”
Garrett graced her with his trademark smile. “It’s doing great. Your daughter is very good at her job. I’m hoping to be able to pitch soon.”
That made Alicia’s dad grin. “I’m glad to hear that. Scared the hell out of me when you got hurt last season.”
“Believe me, Mr. Riley, it scared the hell out of me, too.”
“I’m glad Alicia invited you,” her mother said. “And you and Gavin are friends, too?”
“We are.”
“I hope you have a good time,” her mother said. “Thank you for coming to support Jenna. And look—she’s about to take the stage.”
They all turned as Jenna grabbed a mic.
“I want to welcome you all to the club tonight. Thank you for making Riley’s Club’s opening night such a rousing success. I won’t stand here and give a long speech since that isn’t my thing. How about some music?”
Everyone cheered. The band started up, and Jenna began to sing. Alicia knew Jenna wrote a lot of her own music. This song was upbeat and fun, the kind of song everyone would want to dance to. She had people crowding the dance floor, clapping their hands, and shaking their hips as she gave it her all. By the end of the song, they were whistling and cheering for her.
“Your cousin has an amazing voice,” Garrett said.
Alicia grinned. “Yes, she does. I’m so proud of her. So thrilled for her. Not just for the club, but because she’s living her dream. Finally.”
Garrett cocked a brow.
“It’s a long story,” Alicia said. “I’ll tell you sometime.”
“Okay.” He turned to Alicia’s parents, and her aunt and uncle. “Congratulations. This place is going to do very well.”
Her aunt couldn’t possibly smile any wider. “We think so, too. Wasn’t Jenna wonderful?”
“I don’t know why she’s singing here when she’s better than half the people selling records right now.”
“That’s what I keep telling her,” Alicia’s uncle said. “But she insists this is the only place she wants to be.”
When they wandered off, Gavin turned to Alicia. “No grilling?”
“Oh, if I invited you over for Sunday dinner, there would be grilling. They’re cutting you some slack tonight because it’s crowded and noisy in here. They’re just being polite.”
“Lucky me, then,” he said, sweeping his knuckles across her cheek.
“At least where my parents are concerned,” she said as she saw her brother bearing down on her with a decided scowl on his face.
Garrett straightened as Cole approached. Garrett didn’t look at all threatened as he casually slipped his arm around Alicia’s waist.
“Been looking for you,” Cole said, his fingers linked with Savannah’s.
“I’ve been here for a while. I guess we kept missing each other in the crowd. Cole, this is Garrett Scott. Garrett, this is my brother, Cole, and his fiancée, Savannah Brooks.”
Savannah shook his hand. “Garrett, so nice to meet you. I’ve heard great things about you.”
Cole shook Garrett’s hand, too. “You’re the one she’s been working with. Shoulder injury.”
“Yeah.”
“Rehab finished yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Think you’ll pitch this year?”
“Hell yeah, I’ll pitch. And when I do, a lot of the credit for that will go to Alicia.”
She felt a tug in the vicinity of her heart at his statement and lifted her gaze to his. “Thank you, Garrett.”
Cole gave Garrett the kinds of looks a brother would give any guy she was . . . whatever it was she and Garrett were doing. She knew Cole was being protective, but really. Cole didn’t know what was going on, so he could stop being all Neanderthal about this.